Nobody sets out to have a sh*t meeting.

But it happens to the best of us.

Bad meetings gobble up valuable?time?and?energy?- leaving us with a hangover of confusion,?frustration?and demotivation.

The mumblings of,?“That should have been an email…”

The?time?you’ll never get back...

Nobody needs that.

Do yourself (and your team) a favour and steal these 6 coaching techniques to 10x the?impact?of your next meeting.

?? 6 coaching secrets for better meetings

Used and approved by the More Happi Happi team!

1. Ask more. Lecture less.

Not everyone wants a lecture on what they?should?do (what worked for you might not work for them).

Ask open, thought-provoking questions instead to spark greater creativity and ownership.

Powerful questions like;?"What are we missing?"?or "What if we approached this from a different perspective?"?stimulate more invested thinking.

2. Listen to understand, not just to respond.

Be truly present (this is not the time for multi-tasking).

Repeat back what you've heard,?notice?body language, and stay curious about different perspectives.

Resist the urge to interrupt with your own opinion if you can. Even coaches can struggle with this (it’s not easy), so if you have to - make notes and voice them when it’s time for you to speak.

You can also agree as a group how you’ll interrupt if you need to.

3. Agree on a clear (& achievable) outcome.

Co-create a clear goal or objective that everyone buys into and feels accountable for achieving.

When in doubt, call on the?SMART framework?to drill down on the details.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Having this shared commitment cultivates a partnership mindset where all parties are on the same page.

4. Shine a light on bias & blind spots.

We all have ingrained assumptions, biases and limiting beliefs.

Gently challenge each other's thinking by asking for more evidence or playing devil's advocate.

This fosters?self-awareness?around potential blind spots limiting innovative ideas.

Don’t forget - the quietest person in the room often has the best ideas. Ask for their input.

5. Keep the conversation going.

Finish by prompting further self-reflection and insight, such as:

"What has this discussion revealed that we want to keep?exploring?"

This helps nurture continuous learning, growth, and inspires further self-discovery.

6. Bring ELMO into the room.

Anyone can say “ELMO” when the conversation becomes too detailed or goes off-topic It stands for: Enough, Let’s Move On. (Said with compassion, love and generosity).

Bonus points:

???Share?a clear agenda with your team before the start of the meeting. Include if there's anything you need them to bring - including ideas and/or data.

???Capture?important notes, updates and next steps somewhere everyone can access easily. (The More Happi team use Notion)

???Create?opportunities for quiet thinkers to be heard by asking,?"Is there anything you'd like to add [NAME]?"?and make space for people to share their ideas after the meeting.

Did you find this helpful?

?? Share this if you think it can help someone in your network!

Coach lab questions for your fortnight:

What's the most memorable meeting you've ever attended? What made it so useful?

What's one thing you could stop doing in meetings that would make them instantly better?

What questions are you not asking in your meetings that you should be?

How might you structure your meetings to encourage more diverse perspectives?

How might you incorporate more fun or playfulness into your meetings?

What's one unconventional idea that could revolutionise your meeting culture?

A little bit about me (your guide)

For those of you I haven't met yet, I'm Ashleigh, founder of More Happi :) Nice to meet you! ??

I’ve worked across 9 industry start-up sectors, ranging from fashion trend forecasting, to wool, tampons, sustainable lightbulbs and more.

I trained to be a coach in 2020, after over 20 years in Product, Marketing and Leadership roles.

I noticed something that irked me.

Coaching is transformational for people’s life and career.

But the coaching industry was broken. ??

Due to high costs, only the usual suspects at the top of organisations were able to benefit from the superpowers that professional coaching brings — fuelling a vicious circle of privilege that sustains the status quo and leaves everyone else behind.

It wasn’t fair. So I’m fixing it. And so far, thousands have benefitted.

Interested in learning more about the most accessible coaching service ever created? Discover more here .

???LAST CHANCE! ??

Stop firefighting and get back to what you do best.

Give employees a reason to stay (even when budgets are tight), so that you can get back to building a successful business.

In my goal to support People People and Founders of start-ups, scale-ups and charities get time back for the stuff they enjoy (whatever that means for them), I’ve opened a limited number of complimentary 1-2-1s in July.

Chat with me to supercharge your strategies for effectively:

• Equipping new leaders with essential management skills
• Building a culture of autonomy and performance
• Helping your team overcome change and grow resilience

As someone who has navigated these challenges as a founder, leader, and certified coach, I'm excited to provide personalised guidance tailored to you.

Book a 1-2-1 with me and learn how. (30 minutes)

Yes, it’s totally free.